A search of the art reveals that there are a number of toys for pets that contain scented compositions including catnip and that are designed to assume the shape of a variety of vertebrate and invertebrate life. Examples of the prior art are:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,031,095 teaches a method of making catnip balls wherein there are a number of apertures in the ball through which catnip odor can escape from an interior cavity filled with catnip.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,265,926 shows a fabric in the shape of a mouse filled with catnip, wherein the fabric is easily destroyed by the cat so as to retrieve the catnip.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,441,095 shows an enclosed cylindrical wire cage with a mouse like creature fastened in the center thereof, the mouse being filled with catnip.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,534,964 teaches a rubber ball having a number of apertures. A mouse made of cloth and filled with catnip is freely movable in the ball with just a portion of the mouse projecting through the apertures as the ball is rolled.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,922 shows a toy for a pet in the form of a mouse. The toy is resiliently suspended from a post and is made of vapor permeable durable material that is aromatized with catnip. The material is made penetrable by the animal,s claws to satisfy the cat's clawing urges.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,448 shows a toy device for a pet wherein the device may assume any desired shape such as a ball, mouse, butterfly, etc. The device is suspended from a cord and is made rotatable by a rotatable member contained in a housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,556 shows an amusement device for an animal in the form of a plastic or metal tube filled with ground or flake catnip having vents in the tube large enough to permit catnip odor to permeate, but small enough to prevent the catnip to escape. The tube is closed by two spherical bells that have small balls therein to produce sounds. The balls are held in tension by a spring, which can be pulled open to allow catnip replacement. The balls also have slots to further permit release of catnip scent.
Amongst the disadvantages of these pet toys is that a number of them are easily destructible after a short period of play. Additionally the catnip which has great attraction for the cat is dispersed in such a way that its essence evaporates too rapidly. Besides it is wasteful and affords no additional enhancement by being distributed throughout the entire fabric. Furthermore, except for U.S. Pat. No. '556, there is no simple way of replacement after the catnip evaporates. Finally since catnip generally comes as a ground material, it can be quite messy to remove the old catnip and replace with fresh material.
It is therefore an object of this invention to design a simulated animal toy for a cat that is made of durable fibrous material
It is a further object of this invention to design the toy so that it has attractive appealing patterns.
It is still an object of this invention to place the catnip in a specially marked off area which is readily accessible for replacement.
It is also an object of this invention to package the catnip in a manner to avoid waste and unnecessary spillage.